Sandisfield Arts Center

From Church to Synagogue to Arts Center: Book talk and slide presentation by Ron Bernard
2025-05-31 10:00 - 11:30 (America/New_York)
Join local historian Ron Bernard, author of Sandisfield Then and Now 1762-2012 and The Little Brown Church of New Boston, Mass., and the Lives of Its Pastors, for a book talk and slide presentation on his third book, From Church to Synagogue to Arts Center: Celebrating 185 Years of Community and Culture.
The book tells the comprehensive story of a special building that was home to Baptist and Jewish congregations and is now a community cultural center launching its 30th season.
Nearly two years of original research, interviews, and writing reveals new information and fascinating biographies of 55 individuals who played important roles in the life of Sandisfield’s most venerable community asset, a National Register of Historic Places treasure.
The book will be available for pre-order. Each $15 admission includes a $5 discount on one book.
Coffee, tea and light snacks will be available.

The Landscape We Live: Opening Reception
2025-05-30 17:00 - 19:00
Above photograph: River Dream by Linda Mironti
Show opens Friday May 30 5 – 7 pm with a reception and closes July 6. After the opening reception, Gallery hours are 11 am to 3 pm weekends.
Celebrating the 30th anniversary and long anticipated renovations of the Arts Center, this exhibition pays tribute to Sandisfield—the topography, trees, totems, rocks, rivers, animals, and artists who call it home.
The reception will include a toast to the donors who made our renovations possible, including the refurbished Gallery and the addition of climate-friendly air conditioning and other building improvements. The gallery will be christened The Garfield Family Gallery honoring the gift of the Estate of Leslie and Johanna Garfield. We’ll also recognize other donors including the Homestead Foundation, the Wyomissing Foundation, the Feigenbaum Foundation, the 1772 Foundation, and generous individuals, as well as architects P. Nicholas Elton and Jerry Herman.
The show has invited each artist to reflect on their personal correspondence with this specific landscape. Changing seasons shape the rhythm of daily life. The land itself silently bears witness to the lives of those who inhabit it. Nature is not merely a backdrop, it’s an active, living, breathing partner.
This show asks us all to consider not only the beauty of the land that surrounds us, but how it defines us, and ultimately becomes an extension of who we are.
This page will be updated with artist information and examples of their work.
Some of the artists whose work is included are:

Bill Carlson

Erika Crofut

Jaye Moscariello

Josie Miner

June Wink

Linda Moronti

Peter Biamonte

Sam Mercier

Susie Crofut

Teresa Bills

Memories of Stone by Teresa Bills

Virginia Overton

Bobby Sweet Trio in the Cabaret
2024-10-19 19:00 - 20:30
Singer-songwriter Bobby Sweet is an engaging storyteller, dynamic performer, and a longtime favorite of Sandisfield Arts Center audiences.
The Berkshire native and sixth generation musician has received praise for his Country-Americana style and story songs about real life. Stylistically, Bobby’s music resides somewhere between John Prine, Jackson Browne, and a countryfied Bruce Springsteen, with a hint of Texas Swing.
Between 2008 and 2016, Bobby toured the US and Canada as lead guitarist with Arlo Guthrie. His travels with Guthrie included performances at Carnegie Hall, the New Orleans Jazz Fest, and Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion, among many other landmark venues. Bobby’s songs have aired on many hit television series, such as Nashville, Touched By An Angel, Walker Texas Ranger, CSI, and Judging Amy.
He has released seven solo albums to date.
He will be performing with his trio featuring pedal steel guitarist Pete Adams and vocalist Lara Tupper.
Ticket sales here stop at 6:30 pm but we should still have some room for walk-ins.

Transforming Care During Serious Illness
2024-10-19 10:00 - 11:30
Talk by Diane Meier, MD, Director Emerita and Strategic Advisor of the Center to Advance Palliative Care.
From the Center to Advance Palliative Care website:
The Center to Advance Palliative Care is a national organization devoted to increasing access to quality health care in the United States for people living with serious illness. Under her leadership the number of palliative care programs in U.S. hospitals tripled since 2002.
Widely regarded as a preeminent change agent, Dr. Meier has received numerous awards that recognize and celebrate her achievements. In September 2008, Dr. Meier was awarded a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (MacArthur Genius Award). She was named one of “20 People Who Make Healthcare Better in the United States” by HealthLeaders Media in 2010, and was elected to the National Academy of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences in 2013. In 2017 she received both the Gustav O. Lienhard Award of the National Academy of Medicine and the American Hospital Association’s HRET TRUST Award. Dr. Meier served as a Health and Aging Policy Fellow in Washington, DC, in 2009–10, working on the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) and at the Department of Health and Human Services.
Dr. Meier has published more than two hundred works in peer-reviewed medical literature. Her most recent book, Meeting the Needs of Older Adults with Serious Illness: Challenges and Opportunities in the Age of Health Reform, was published by Humana in 2014. She has been featured in the media numerous times, including the PBS NewsHour Brief But Spectacular and the New York Times Magazine.
A recent article by Meier on the future of palliative care: https://www.capc.org/blog/dr-diane-meier-on-the-history-and-future-of-palliative-care-research/

Illuminated: Women in Photography - Continues through November 9
2024-10-13 16:00 - 2024-11-09 19:00
October 13 – November 9
Illuminated: Women in Photography
UPDATE:
Continues, Saturday, October 19, 11-3pm, Sunday, October 27, 11-3pm , Saturday, November 2, 11-3pm, or by appointment gallery@sandisfieldartscenter.org
Closing reception Saturday November 9 at 5pm with a talk by Mariah Robertson at 6:15pm.
Mariah Robertson www.mariahrobertson.com , an artist known primarily for her work experimenting with darkroom techniques and materials, will give a talk on her work and process at the closing party on November 9th at 6:15pm.
Above photograph by Mariah Robertson
Illuminated: Women in Photography
Opening reception October 13 4-5:30 pm, 5:30 Slideshow and talk by Amy Arbus, world renowned award-winning photographer
The gender component of emotional memory is linked to the amygdala (an almond-shaped emotion locus in both hemispheres of the brain.) For women, the left side of the amygdala appears to drive emotional recall much more vividly than for men. Women also have nine brain regions actively involved in the imprinting and commitment to memory of emotionally rich stimuli, whereas men have only two. (https://www.healthday.com/health-news/neurology/emotional-memory-stronger-in-women-508198.html)
This show is both a celebration and inquiry into the feminine nature of memory. How does what we remember — and forget — influence artistic process and output? Each artist, through her own personal experience, reveals how memories can function as the ultimate fabric of self expression and storytelling.
Work by these artists:
Daisy Noyes
Josie Miner
Kenzie Fields
Mariah Robertson
Maura Sullivan
Susanna Howe
Tina Tyrell
Barbara Woike

Katherine Wells, Middletown, Ct, 1979 by Barbara Woike

The Nutcracker, 2022 by Tina Tyrell

The Death of Mikhail Alexandrovich, 2006 by Maura Sullivan

by Susanna Howe

by Daisy Noyes

by Mariah Robertson

Bill Taylor and Friends
2024-10-06 16:00 - 17:30
This concert features Bill Taylor playing along with Gerold Mohn, clarinet and bassoon, Tari Roosa, flute and piccolo, Terry Keevil, oboe and English Horn, French horn player Stewart Edelstein and singer Jaye Alison Moscariello. We will perform several of Bill’s pieces which are classically-inspired with hints of jazz and show tunes; these are trios, duos, solos, and quartets; and a few songs. Spanish Stairs by Paul McCandless and two 20th century classical pieces, Dmitri Shostakovich’s Four Waltzes and Camille Saint-Saens’ Tarantella, will fill out the program.
Partial list of pieces aside from those above:
Ode to Ludwig
Civil Unrest
Hiding From the Law
Saratoga Salsa
Nature’s Dream
Mendocino Coast Storm
Belugas
Of The Woods
Seattle Cascade/Shutters Corners
Sueno Con Bosque Nublado (not sure how to put ~ over the n in Sueno)
Release
Every Time We Meet (by Priscilla Rowe)
About Bill Taylor
Bill Taylor is a composer, pianist, and market gardener/farmer and radio show cohost living in Sandisfield, MA since 2020. Several of his works were performed in March 2019 by the Ukiah Symphony (CA). His two albums (Nature’s Dream, 2018 and Of This Earth, 2011) include solo and ensemble pieces with Paul McCandless (grammy winning reed player with Oregon and Paul Winter Consort), jazz flautist George Husaruk, singer Jaye Alison Moscariello, violinist and concertmaster of Ukiah Symphony Margie Rice, and bassist Yanahay Hooper. He played in the Soul Purpose Band from 2012 to 2020, was church pianist and organist from 2004 to 2020 in northern California and from 2022 to present in West Stockbridge, MA. His farming and environmental awareness and involvement inform his compositions. He studied composition at Cornish School and with composer Ken Benshoof, piano with his father Arnold Taylor, Harriet Shirvan in Boston, and jazz pianist Jerry Gray in Seattle. His music was featured in several films produced by Jaye Alison Moscariello. In June 2023 and again in 2024 he was a composer at the Mostly Modern Festival where his chamber pieces Regenerate, Heal, Cool, Normalizing Evil and others were performed. He is working on a third album.
More info on Bill and his music at touchthearthmusic.com
Jaye Alison Moscariello sang on Bill’s two albums and at numerous concerts with him, and trained with Rosa D’Acri.
Gerold Mohn, Tari Roosa, and Stewart Edelstein are members of the Stockbridge Sinfonia and chamber ensembles in the area.
Stewart Edelstein (French horn), a resident of Stockbridge, Massachusetts, is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music (Preparatory Department), where he majored in French horn and minored in piano. He continued his French horn studies at Oberlin College, where he was an English major. After graduating from Cornell Law School, he formed a woodwind quintet, Prevailing Winds, which concertized in Connecticut for over thirty years. When he retired to Connecticut, he was a founding member of another woodwind quintet, Berkshire Winds, and has been a member of Stockbridge Sinfonia. He also performs with the Lenox High School Band — no students at that high school play the French horn!
Terry Keevil (oboe, English Horn) has been a member of the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra and Choir of Sacred Music, and performed with Lazar Gosman’s Tchaikovsky Orchestra as well as the Bach Aria Group.
For over thirty years he was a member of the chamber group, North Shore Pro Musica. Terry was also part of the Constellation Trio with Linda Wetherill, flute and Steve Salerno, guitar. Terry has performed and recorded with cellist David Darling and released a CD of original duduk music titled “Duduk Creations”. He received a DMA in oboe performance from SUNY/Stony Brook where he studied with Steve Taylor, and an MM from SUNYSB where he studied with Ronald Roseman. As an undergraduate, he attended Amherst College for two years and received a BA from Sarah Lawrence College, where he studied with Ronald Roseman. Terry and his wife, Sarah, moved to West Stockbridge from Long Island in the Summer of 2023.
Gerold Mohn (Clarinet and Bassoon) grew up in Leverkusen, Germany and recently retired from a career as a scientist in Biopharmaceutical Research and Development. He moved to North Carolina in 1995 as part of an international assignment for a large pharmaceutical company. Gerold developed his passion for music when he received his first clarinet at the age of 10 and was introduced to his teacher Hans Kämmerling who also taught him piano and later became a lifelong friend, mentor and chamber music partner.
Throughout his busy professional life, Gerold continued to study clarinet and bassoon and performed with the Sinfonieorchester Bergisch Gladbach, Germany, the North Carolina Wind Orchestra, the Raleigh Civic Symphony and Chamber Orchestra and was a founding member of the Triangle Wind Ensemble. Gerold is an active chamber musician and he met his wife Cathy playing in a woodwind quintet when they were living in North Carolina. They moved to the Berkshires in 2017 and live in West Stockbridge. Currently Gerold performs regularly with the Berkshire Winds, the Eagles Band and the Stockbridge Sinfonia.
Tari Wheeler Roosa (Flute, Piccolo) is an active performer and teacher in Berkshire County. She currently teaches flute and recorder at the Berkshire Music School and formerly taught the early childhood classes at the school and with the Community Partnership for Children. She performs regularly with the Eagles Community Band and is a founding member of The Jovia Trio (flute, violin, piano ensemble). Tari received a Masters degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder and a Bachelors degree from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell.
Online ticket sales end at 3:30 pm but there is still room for walk-ins – please come!

Landscape Geology: Image Meets Science in the Berkshires
2024-10-05 10:00 - 11:30
A talk with Professor Paul Karabinos, Chair and Edna McConnell Clark Professor of Geology, WIlliams College.
Over a billion years of earth’s history sculpted the iconic Berkshire landscape. The diverse terrains, many captured in classic paintings and sketches, reflect the underlying geology and recent glaciation.
Painting: Bash-Bish Falls, Massachusetts, 1855, by John Frederick Kensett (American, 1816–1872)

"Dick and Jim" - An original play about the friendship of Richard Avedon and James Baldwin
2024-09-28 19:00 - 21:00
Dick & Jim is an original play be poet/playwright Neil Silberblatt tracing the friendship and collaboration between photographer Richard Avedon & essayist/playwright/activist James Baldwin.
The play revolves around (imagined) conversations between Avedon & Baldwin leading up to the publication of their book, Nothing Personal (with photos by Avedon & essays by Baldwin).
Marlon Carey & Geof Newton – both fine actors – will perform the roles of Baldwin & Avedon, respectively.
The performance will be followed by a Q&A with the playwright about his research into the lives of Avedon and Baldwin.
This play made its debut this summer at the Wellfleet Public Library, with funding from the Wellfleet and Massachusetts Cultural Council for that performance.
About Nothing Personal (from the AbeBooks site)
Avedon and Baldwin’s American Journey
Richard Avedon and James Baldwin’s landmark 1964 book explores the complexities and contradictions still at the center of the American experience – especially timely today. Deploying both image and text, Avedon and Baldwin examine the formation of identity, and the bonds that both underlie and undermine human connection.

In 1963-64, former high school friends Richard Avedon, at the time one of the world’s most famous photographers, and James Baldwin, best-selling novelist and essayist and a leading literary voice in the American civil rights movement, collaborated on Nothing Personal, a book about the state of life in America.
Avedon’s subjects range from civil rights icons, to intellectuals, politicians, pop singers, patients in a mental institution, and ordinary Americans, all carefully juxtaposed, cropped, and tightly sequenced. Here, the American Nazi Party contends with poet Allen Ginsberg, and a weary General Eisenhower gives way to the sway of Malcolm X. Depleted mental institution patients call out for human warmth, and are followed by the embrace of mother and child.
Baldwin’s four-part essay offers a critique of a society that is disconnected, unjust and divisive, and therefore in the midst of an existential crisis. In a highly personal and pertinent testimony, he writes about his own experience of harassment by a racist police officer in his native New York City. Yet Baldwin, like Avedon, ends his work with the inescapable need for – and power of – love.

Online ticket sales end at 6 pm on the day of the performance, but we are likely to have room for walk-ins.

Gala Annual Dinner - Honoring Ben Luxon
2024-09-21 18:00 - 21:00
Photograph by Richard Migot.
We lost our beloved Ben Luxon – maestro of the Sandisfield Players, director, producer, actor, and of so many Sandisfield Arts Center events over the last decades – on July 25, 2024.
This evening will celebrate the incalculable contributions that Ben made to our Arts Center — not just plays (creating the Sandisfield Players) but reciting poetry, inviting world-class musicians – his friends – to perform here, and so much more.
The evening will include a delicious dinner prepared by our master chef Adam Manacher and clips and remembrances of such performances as Our Town, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and The Stamp Collection.
The picture is from last year’s dinner, and captures both how the Arts Center is transformed for our galas and a bit of the spirit of camaraderie these events engender. Two Gentlemen Folk, the DVD with Ben Luxon and Bill Crofut shown at last year’s dinner, will be available for purchase,
Vegetarian and gluten-free preferences can be accommodated but to help us plan, please note this in the Additional Information (order notes) when you check out.

Tributes to Ben in the Sandisfield Times

Third Annual Daniel Manacher Prize for Young Artists - Opening Reception
2024-09-14 14:00 - 2024-10-05 16:00
September 14 – October 6
Please note the date change!
3rd Annual Daniel Manacher Prize for Young Artists
Opening reception 2-4 pm
We are very excited to announce the winners of the 2024 Daniel Manacher Prize for Young Artists! This year’s juror was Josephine Halvorson, an accomplished artist and the Chair of the MFA Program in Painting at Boston University’s College of Fine Art. She has a studio here in Sandisfield.
Image above, Daniel Manacher and Shwoopy Loops.
The three winners are:
Aidan White (website https://www.aidan-white.com/)
Mico Aldmar Mendoza
Warwick Willow (website https://www.warwickwillow.com/about)
The show also includes the work of 2023 winner Laina Falcon (website https://www.falconlaina.com/)
Aidan White was born in Princeton, NJ, and has lived in the Berkshires since he was eight. He is a painting major at Massachusetts College of Art and Design and expects to finish his BFA in August, 2024.
From his statement: I enjoy painting portraits of people and their pets using an expressionistic style. I sometimes place objects in the painting representing something of the subject’s life. While I place objects in a painting intentionally, I leave it to the viewer to make of it what they will. Sometimes, the allusion is obvious, and sometimes not. I also enjoy experimenting with surrealistic subjects that are disjointed and dreamlike. I find the images I use as inspiration in literature, music, current events, and nature, especially human anatomy.

Mico Aldmar Mendozawas born in 2000, and grew up in a small rural town in Central Luzon, Philippines. I am a computer science major, and has a background in environmental sustainability and studio art. He plans to pursue an MFA after graduation and wants to explore the possibilities when it comes to upcycling waste, minimizing material dependence, and exploring sustainable practices/techniques in art.
From his statement: A lot of my work is centered around sustainability and upcycling waste materials – recontextualizing the materiality and meaning of objects that are in excess, wasted, left behind. My three recent sculptures, for example, are made purely of electronic waste from Williams College offices and from local community members – two of which don’t use any other materials at all, even adhesives and binding products.

Warwick Willow grew up surrounded by art. Their early creative experiences involved painting with homemade watercolors, sculpting with salt dough, and exploring their mother’s vast art collection in their family home in New Mexico. They began their formal study of the arts at the age of 15, going on to graduate from Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, with an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts. Having discovered their love of clay, they transferred to the Kansas City Art Institute in Kansas City, Missouri, where they studied ceramics and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. They currently work at Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington as a Community Director.

From their statement: My work is an exploration of the connections between art, domesticity, and personal identity as it is tied to a living space. Finding inspiration in the beauty of the mundane and the moments of history found within a home, I aim to create work that brings joy into that intimate space without requiring a pedestal or formal display. When exhibiting my work I prioritize creating an environment that holds stories and feels full of life.

Falcon Laina, 2023 winner, will be showing new work.
Focusing on scenes from their vivid dreams, Falcon’s work explores the eerie, otherworldly and horrific. By using slow and methodical techniques to bring these pieces to life, and by presenting a static and beautiful fine art object, they strive to take away its ability to jumpscare. Falcon’s drawings and sculptures often depict a monster which is made of both human and animal parts.

These embodiments of taboo and monstrosity are comments on their experience with gender queerness. By presenting these creatures as lovingly crafted creations, they hope to elicit a sense of curiosity and wonder in the viewer, and a greater respect for the mysterious.

Understanding

Small Works - Opening Reception and Gallery Show
2024-08-17 16:00 - 2024-09-08 18:00
August 17 – September 8
Group show featuring small and often very affordable works. Opening reception 4-6 pm. Show continues through September 8.
Image above is Vitro Muralis by William Carlson.
Gallery visiting hours 11 to 3 Saturdays and Sundays except for 11 to 2 on Sunday August 18.
The Gallery Committee at The Sandisfield Arts Center is happy to present our 4th exhibit of the season: Small Works. As the long days of summer begin to wane, we invite viewers to pause and investigate intimate renderings across a spectrum of media and craft. Local artists and artisans have been given creative freedom to showcase work that is intimate in size but holds great weight and impact.
Featured artists include Amy Pressman, Ann Getsinger, Cameron Goodyear, Jacob Fossum, Jaye Alison Moscariello, Josephine Allesi Freedman, Josie Miner, June Wink, Mary Brenerman, Steve Butler and William Carlson.
Some of the work you will see and can purchase:

Dark Matter, William Carlson

Tea Box Cover, Steve Butler

Jaye Alison Moscariello

June Wink

Josephine Alessi Freedman

Jacob Fossum

Constitutional Limits and the Role of the Supreme Court: Lessons from Franklin Roosevelt's Struggle with a Conservative Court
2024-08-10 10:00 - 11:30
We are proud to continue the Bill Cohn/Val Coleman Series on History and American Culture with this timely talk by Kenneth Cohen, who will discuss what we can learn about today’Constitutional issues from Franklin Roosevelt’s struggle with a conservative court.
Ken Cohen has taught and practiced law in Boston. After law school, he clerked for the Chief Judge of the First Circuit federal appeals court. He taught both Constitutional Law and the course on the federal courts at Boston University School of law, and was then for many years a partner at Goodwin Procter in Boston. There he specialized in appellate and complex litigation. He has briefed and argued cases involving constitutional issues in federal appellate courts and state supreme courts around the country.

Romance in the Afternoon: Piano Recital with Josh Luxon-Robinson
2024-07-28 16:00 - 18:00
Young pianist Josh Luxon-Robinson returns by popular demand after his terrific recital here last summer.
The program:
Johannes Brahms
-Rhapsody in G Minor, Op. 72, No. 2
Leonard Bernstein
-Touches: Chorale, Eight Variations and Coda
Franz Liszt
-Consolation No. 3
Sergei Rachmaninoff
-Prelude in G Minor, Op. 23, No. 5
[INTERVAL]
Claude Debussy
-Ballade
-Deux Arabesques
Nikolai Medtner
-Canzona Matinata, Op. 39, No. 4
-Sonata Tragica, Op. 39, No. 5
Nikolai Medtner was a younger contemporary of Sergei Rachmaninoff and Alexander Scriabin, and his Wikipedia page notes “After a period of comparative obscurity in the 25 years immediately after his death, he is now becoming recognized as one of the most significant Russian composers for the piano.”
If tickets are sold out, please come – we will attempt to make room for everyone.

Unearthed - Opening Reception and Gallery Show
2024-07-13 16:00 - 2024-08-11 18:00
Unearthed: Group show featuring three-dimensional work
Opening reception Saturday July 13 4-6 pm. Meet the artists, enjoy light refreshments.
The show runs until August 11. Gallery is open Saturdays and Sundays from 11 to 3.
“Unearthed,” the three-dimensional art show hosted at the Sandisfield Arts Center in Western Massachusetts, promises a captivating exploration of our connection to the world through various mediums. This unique exhibition showcases a diverse array of artworks, each telling its own story through tactile and visually stunning forms. Central to “Unearthed” are works crafted from clay, exemplifying the earthy essence and malleability of the material. These pieces invite viewers to contemplate the ancient roots of human creativity and the enduring significance of clay in art.
Equally compelling are the hand-carved wooden sculptures, each revealing the intricate skill and dedication of the artist. These works speak to the organic beauty of wood and the craftsmanship involved in transforming raw material into expressive art.
Adding a layer of intrigue are the sculptures made from found objects, where discarded items are repurposed into thought-provoking artworks. This aspect of the exhibition encourages reflection on sustainability and the potential for art to redefine our perceptions of everyday objects.
Lastly, the inclusion of molten glass artworks introduces a dynamic element of fluidity and transparency to “Unearthed.” These creations capture light and color in mesmerizing ways, reflecting the interplay between natural elements and human creativity. Set in the serene landscape of the Berkshires, the Sandisfield Arts Center provides an intimate setting where visitors can immerse themselves in the tactile and conceptual richness of three-dimensional art.
“Unearthed” not only celebrates the diversity of artistic expression but also invites contemplation on our relationship with the world through the tangible and enduring medium of sculpture.
Artists:
Milena Cerna
Erika Crofut https://www.erikacrofut.com/
Gail Gelburd https://www.gailgelburd.com/
Caryn King https://www.carynking.com/
Sarah Konstam
Margie Skaggs https://www.facebook.com/margie.skaggs.58/
Nancy Silkey
Natalie Tyler https://natalietylerart.com/
Some of the work you will want to see in all three dimensions!

Clay works by Milena Cerna

“Immigrant” from 7 foot tree sculpture by Nancy Silkey

Backyard bird by Erika Crofut

Works by Margie Skaggs

Ram Skull by Natalie Tyler

By Caryn King

Open Mic Variety Show - Free!
2024-07-12 19:00 - 21:00
Bring your jokes, poems, songs, and other talents to share with your neighbors over light refreshments.
If you’re contributing, please arrive 15 minutes early to sign up.
Free.

Pick Up the Pen: Start Your Writing Project
2024-06-30 14:00 - 15:00
The Arts Center is pleased to host Lara Tupper’s community writing workshop.
In this 60-minute workshop, you will learn practical tips and easy prompts that will allow you to develop a writing routine and complete your writing project. No prior writing experience necessary; all adults are welcome to attend. Please bring a notebook, a pen, and any writing tools that serve you best. As space is limited, please register by by sending an email via Lara’s website contact page: https://www.laratupper.com/contact This program is free for participants and is supported in part by a grant from the Sandisfield Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
A graduate of the Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College (MFA Creative Writing), Lara Tupper taught at Rutgers University for many years and now presents private writing workshops (online and in person). For ten years she was a faculty member at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, where she led writing workshops and retreats for thousands of guests seeking wellness practices. She is founder of Swift Ink Stories, which offers private manuscript guidance and tutorials, and the author of three books (a short story collection, Amphibians, and the novels Off Island and A Thousand and One Nights). www.laratupper.com
Photo by Lynette Najimy

Chris Brubeck's Triple Play--SOLD OUT
2024-06-22 19:30 - 21:30
Sorry, we are at capacity for this event and especially with the heat will not be able to take walk ins.

Chris Brubeck’s Triple Play featuring Joel Brown on Guitar, Peter Madcat Ruth on harmonica is (to quote the Los Angeles Times ) ”rollicking fun, led by bassist, trombonist and pianist Chris Brubeck the vocal trio stole the show with their flair and virtuosity!” The group met decades ago when they all recorded and performed with the unique banjo player and singer Bill Crofut. The Seattle Times wrote “Triple Play is what jazz always was and always should be about, good times, unbridled joy and the sweet release of the blues.”

Get your tickets early for this season highlight!

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Sandisfield Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

Tomáš Kubínek: Certified Lunatic and Master of the Impossible
2024-06-15 19:30 - 21:00
Tomáš Kubínek – Certified Lunatic and Master of the Impossible
(90-minute performance)
London’s Time Out calls him “Hilarious and enormously talented.”
Billed as a Certified Lunatic and Master of the Impossible, Tomáš Kubínek (Toh-mawsh Koo-bee-neck) is a comic genius, virtuoso vaudevillian, and all-round charmer who gives audiences an utterly joyous experience they’ll remember for a lifetime. With appearances in over 30 countries, Mr. Kubínek has won the hearts of thousands in theaters, opera houses, television specials, and in communities large and small.
His latest creation, Tomáš Kubínek – Miracle Man, is a rip-roaring revival of strong-man stunts, couples counseling, snake healings, and mass hypnosis that leaves audiences dazed, beaming, and in love with life once again…
Performances of his one-man shows include sold-out runs at London Southbank Centre’s Purcell Theatre, Teatro Goldoni in Venice, The International Festival of Hong Kong, The Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Singapore Arts Festival, Sasch Hall in Florence, Tokyo’s Asahi Hall, Theatre des Celestins in Lyon, and Broadway’s New Victory Theater in New York City.
Mr. Kubínek is the recipient of international awards including; The Moers Comedy Prize from The International Comedy Arts Festival in Germany, The Schneestern Award from the International Festival of Humor in Arosa, Switzerland, and The Samuel Beckett Theatre Award from The Dublin Theater Festival in Ireland.
Here’s a sample:

The posting for his 2009 performance at Simon’s Rock included this:
As critic Lawrence Van Gelder wrote: “Mr. Kubinek would be worth seeing if he accomplished no more than his remarkable feat of balancing a glass of red wine on his forehead, which is so broad, he says, that he calls it his fivehead. But Mr. Kubinek doesn’t stop there. Still balancing the glass, he manages to lower himself to the stage floor, turn a complete somersault and, without spilling a drop of wine or using his hands, drink the glass empty. Oh, yes, one more thing: he does all this while playing a ukulele and, for most of the time, whistling ‘It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie’.” When he played the Mahaiwe more than two years ago, he bowled over critic Seth Rogovoy who wrote: “Kubinek is a one-man circus and dramatic repertory company and band. This guy is so talented at so many different things he makes your average multitasker look like a sloth.”
For more, see https://www.kubinek.com/
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Sandisfield Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

Select the number of tickets below and then click Get Tickets.

Notes from the Interior - Closing party July 7
2024-06-08 16:00 - 2024-07-07 15:00
Group show featuring works on paper. Opening reception June 8 4 –6 pm. The show runs until July 7 and is open Saturdays and Sundays 11 am to 3 pm except for June 29 and 30.
On July 7 from 1 to 3 join us and the artists for a closing party and the opportunity to see how a show is dismantled (very carefully).

“Art, to me, is an anecdote of the spirit.” – Mark Rothko
The act of creation is often a solitary one. Artists immerse themselves in the studio to create pieces that bridge their innermost thoughts and emotions with the broader spectrum of the human experience. “Notes from the Interior” beckons both artist and viewer alike to delve into the depths of their consciousness, unveiling the treasures hidden within. We are reminded that the true essence of art lies not in its physical form, but in its ability to illuminate the intangible aspects of our being. In the quiet moments of introspection, we confront our fears, celebrate our triumphs, and embrace the fullness of our humanity. It is through art that we find solace in times of uncertainty, courage in moments of adversity, and joy in the beauty of everyday existence.
All of the work in this show is made on paper: prints, drawings, and paintings, yet each artist works in a diverse array of styles, forms, and subjects that celebrates the multifaceted nature of human thought.
Collectively, the pieces in “Notes from the Interior” form a tapestry of human experience, inviting viewers to reflect on their own inner landscapes.

Image above: Jess Cofrin, “Purple Room”, 2016. Monoprint on paper. 16x24in.

Artists:
Leslee Carsewell https://www.lcarsewellart.com/
Jess Cofrin https://www.jessicacofrin.com/
Susie Crofut https://sandisfieldartscenter.org/gallery/paintings-by-susie-crofut-online-gallery-show/
Shawn Fields http:/www.shawnfields.com/
Shelly Haven http://shelleyhaven.com/
Tom Hlas https://tomhlas.com/
Jaye Alison Moscariello https://www.jayesplacegallery.com/
Holly Popielarz https://hollypopielarz.com/home.html
Abbe Stahl https://www.harrietandabbe.com/abbe
Natasha Wein. https://www.nweinart.com/. Natasha was a recipient of our 2022 Daniel Manacher Prize for Young Artists.

Some of the work in the show:

Shelly Haven, set of 3 “Watkins Glen” etchings

Film and discussion with Andre Lambertson, award-winning photojournalist and filmmaker
2024-05-25 19:00 - 21:30
Join us for refreshments at 7 – film screening at 7:30
Last season the award-winning photojournalist and filmmaker Andre Lambertson presented a photography show and slide talk that were so powerful and timely that by popular request we have invited him back for this special event.
Andre will talk a bit about his work around the world as a photojournalist and then screen the inspiring, music-filled “The Whole Gritty City,” a unique window into the world of New Orleans school marching bands. The screening will be followed by a discussion with the filmmaker.
See The Whole Gritty City trailer.
Students: Free

Memorial Garden Opening Ceremony in Honor of Val Coleman
2024-05-05 14:00 - 16:00
The opening ceremony for our Memorial Garden will honor Val Coleman, longtime friend, volunteer, speaker, and Board member of the Sandisfield Arts Center, whose family’s gift in his honor helped turn the plot into a peaceful garden with two all-weather benches and lovely plantings by Snow Farm.
After a short ceremony with readings of Val’s poetry and the history of the garden, join us for a reception with light refreshments and a chance to share stories about Val.
Check out Val’s talks on this website:
A Story of Poetry
The Enigma of Socialism
A Story of Fascism
Abraham Lincoln: A Talk by Val Coleman
And watch and hear Val reading his poem on the Arts Center.

About the Memorial Garden

The Memorial Garden is on the spot where once stood the only two-story school in Sandisfield. The school, no longer used, had become derelict and was burned by the fire department (as a training exercise) in 1961.

In 2018, Sandsfield Historical Commissioner Ron Bernard had the idea of commemorating the historic space (which was on property now owned by the Sandisfield Arts Center) by building a wall using stones from the old foundation. An interpretive historical marker was installed memorializing the history of the space. Ron was aided in his wall building by Benjamin Luxon, and the initial cleanout by machine of the tangle of weeds, rocks, etc, was generously donated by C.W. Nelson Landscaping.

Once the space was cleared, many ideas were discussed about how to use it. When our beloved Val Coleman passed away in October 2021, his family approached the Arts Center about a memorial gift and the idea of creating the Sandisfield Memorial Garden became a reality. A garden committee was formed consisting of Adam Manacher, Susie Crofut, Jean Atwater-Williams and Tom Christopher. Val’s family’s gift along with several other generous donations, allowed work to begin in earnest in Spring of 2022. Snow Farm was contracted to install a garden. A sign was designed and purchased and Jean’s childhood friend, John Harney, again fabricated and donated a stand for the new sign, which was installed by Ben Luxon and Steve Kopiek.

Two weather-resistant benches provide a place to sit and contemplate the verdant surroundings and the layered history of this place. One bench bears a plaque with Val’s name.

"After the Thaw," Guild of Berkshire Artists show
2024-05-04 16:00 - 2024-05-26 18:00
We are delighted to host a second annual Guild of Berkshire Artists exhibition, “After the Thaw”, with an opening reception Saturday May 4, 4 – 6 pm. The Guild of Berkshire Artists (GBA) is a vital, active, nonprofit visual arts rganization that supports and promotes its members through education, exhibits and community events while contributing to the cultural life of the Berkshires.
The exhibit runs until May 26th, 2024. After the opening, Gallery hours are Saturdays and Sundays 11 am – 3 pm and by appointment. Call (310) 970-4517
Painting above by Marilyn Omer.
“After the Thaw” is a theme derived from the anticipatory time of year when New Englanders joyfully greet the burgeoning signs of spring: blooming flowers, green grass emerging through softening ground, and longer visitations of the sun.
These artists will have work in the show:

Karen Carmean
Gail Gelburd
Marcie Kammel
Jaye Alison Moscariello
Marilyn Orner
Amy Pressman
Bruce Shickmanter
Katharine Squires

All have a unique interpretation of the theme, from the literal to more abstract. A variety of media will be included and sure to delight every viewer.
After the opening reception, Gallery hours are Saturdays and Sundays 11 am – 3 pm and by appointment. Call (310) 970-4517
Video tour by Jaye Alison Moscariello:

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Preview of some of the works in the show

by Kate Squires

by Amy Pressman

by Marilyn Omer

“Roar of the Fall”, Photography, Encaustic, oil stick in a light box, by Gail Gelburd

“Spring” by Jaye Alison Moscariello

“Spring Has Sprung” by Bruce Shickmanter

Churches of Sandisfield - Talk and slide show by Ron Bernard
2024-04-27 10:00 - 12:00
Sandisfield historian Ron Bernard opens our season with “Churches of Sandisfield,” a talk and slide show. For 250 years churches shaped community life in Sandisfield. Come meet the pastors and notable personalities whose fascinating biographies are in Ron’s new Sandisfield history book, The Little Brown Church of New Boston, Mass. and the Lives of Its Pastors : 150 Years of Heritage and Revival. In many ways the history of our churches is the history of our town.
Full of interesting and often surprising anecdotes, Ron’s book finds, as Bernard Drew wrote in the Eagle, “stories that go beyond buildings and liturgical matters.” From Drew’s review: “The book chronicles the lives of those who stood at the pulpit of the congregation that broke away from the Congregational Church at the Centre in 1874 (that building burned in 1908) because of the uphill distance for New Bostoners to attend services. The South Sandisfielders similarly put up their own chapel in 1909; it’s now home to the Sandisfield Historical Society. The Baptist Church in Montville became Congregation B’Nai Brith and is now Sandisfield Arts Center.
“The New Boston Church has had 47 pastors (including seven students) since the first, Elbridge Bradbury. Most served short terms, departing for more prosperous settings. Yet today, under the leadership of the Rev. Eric Kriebel, it has a growing attendance, according to one parishioner I spoke with.”
You’ll be able to purchase a signed copy of the book at this talk, or write to Ron at PO Box 91, Sandisfield 01255.

Simon Reads - Free!
2023-11-25 16:00 - 18:00
Join us for a reading by Simon Winchester and a discussion of his 2023 book, Knowing What We Know: The Transmission of Knowledge from Ancient Wisdom to Modern Magic.
“A delightful compendium of the kind of facts you immediately want to share with anyone you encounter . . . . Simon Winchester has firmly earned his place in history . . . as a promulgator of knowledge of every variety, perhaps the last of the famous explorers who crisscrossed the now-vanished British Empire and reported what they found to an astonished world.” — New York Times
Free!

An Evening with Carol Burnett - POSTPONED -
2023-11-11 19:00 - 21:00
Unfortunately due to the availability of our actors, this event is POSTPONED until next season. Join us next year to roll with laughter when you relive the magic and hilarity of Carol Burnett’s comic genius as the Sandisfield Players present her classic comedy sketches.

Connected: A group show featuring artists with ties to the region - Free Opening Reception
2023-11-04 16:00 - 2023-12-02 18:00
Featured image is Red Room, monoprint on paper, by Jess Cofrin.
Join us for the free opening reception November 4, 4 to 6 pm.
The show runs to December 3.

Connected is a presentation of artists who, by way of place, share ties to southern Berkshire County. In this day and age it’s important for all of us to remember how connected we are as humans – to each other and to the nature that surrounds us. The exhibition will showcase 12 artists whose work is as diverse and interesting as the landscapes that we occupy. The exhibition will ask what connections we can make to further foster a community in our corner of the world. We look forward to your joining us at the Sandisfield Arts Center to connect with the art, the artists, and neighbors and friends.
“We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men; and among those fibers, as sympathetic threads, our actions run as causes, and they come back to us as effects.”
― Herman Melville

Featured artists include: Peter Baiamonte, Jess Cofrin, Susie Crofut, Jacob Fossum, Falcon Laina (2023 Daniel Manacher Prize Winner), Josie Miner, Linda Mironti, Jaye Alison Moscariello, Daisy Noyes, Abbe Stahl, Setsuko Winchester, June Wink

Le Jardin I by Jaye Moscariello

Le Jardin II by Jaye Moscariello

Sandisfield without the Trees
2023-10-28 10:00 - 11:30
What would Sandisfield look like if all the trees were magically removed? What did it look like when it was more farms than forest? See for yourself and learn about LIDAR (light detection and ranging) with Professor Will Ouimet of U Conn.
The image shown here is a very reduced view — you’ll see and hear much more in Professor Ouimet’s talk.
Followed by cider, donuts, Riiska Brook Orchard apples and general awe.
About LIDAR: Lidar systems allow scientists and mapping professionals to examine both natural and manmade environments with accuracy, precision, and flexibility. NOAA scientists are using lidar to produce more accurate shoreline maps, make digital elevation models for use in geographic information systems, to assist in emergency response operations, and in many other applications.

Foraging for Mushrooms - Cancelled due to death in family
2023-10-22 14:00 - 16:00
Very sorry to announce this event is cancelled unavoidably due to a death in the family.
We have issued refunds to everyone who purchased an online ticket. You will also receive an email.
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Join mushroom expert Matt Glushien for a walk to gather mushrooms, then continue for a cooking demonsration and optional natural wine tasting.
We will meet not at the Arts Center but at a good location for mushroom gathering, which Matt will select a few days before the event. We will post that here and also email the registrants.
As in previous years, bring a basket, a pair of gloves, and a suitable knife.
Attendance closed.

Folk Duo Ari and Mia in Concert
2023-10-14 19:00 - 20:30
Come hear New England’s Americana sister act, folk duo Ari and Mia, perform music that honors the sounds of Appalachian cottages, rural dance floors, and urban concert halls. Their own compositions cross paths with older traditions making for a captivating sound.
Ariel Friedman is a multi-genre cellist and composer. A winner of the Women Composers Festival of Hartford’s 2020 call for scores and a recipient of New England Conservatory’s 2018 Alumni Award, she is steeped both in the music of American roots traditions and a broad range of classical repertoire as both a performer and composer.
Mia Friedman is a virtuosic fiddler and singer as well as a composer and educator. Her song “Across the Water” won the 2010 John Lennon Songwriting Contest in the folk category, and she was the 2006 New Hampshire Highland Games Scottish Fiddle Champion.
“Ari & Mia blend a traditional rootsy grounding with a clear background of classical training. Their own works are soothing and fresh, tasteful and accomplished. This duo is taking the classical study of a conservatory program and bringing it alive in folk touring circles.”
— SingOut! Magazine
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Sandisfield Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

Award-winning Andre Lambertson Documentary Photography
2023-10-01 16:00 - 2023-10-22 18:00
Sunday October 1 (rescheduled from Saturday September 23) in the Gallery from 4 to 6 pm is the free opening reception for “Andre Lambertson Documentary Photography.” Be sure to be there at 5 pm to hear Lambertson talk about his powerful work.
The show runs until October 22.
Andre Lambertson is an award-winning photojournalist, and filmmaker committed to documenting stories of transformation of resilient people around the globe. Lambertson received five Picture of the Year awards, the World Press Photo award, an OSI George Soros Media Fellowship, The Nation Investigative grant, and five separate Pulitzer Center grants on Crisis Reporting including one for work on child soldiers in West Africa. He received another Pulitzer Center grant in 2010 for a yearlong reporting project in Haiti. Lambertson and his colleagues at the Pulitzer Center were awarded the National Press Club’s Joan Friedenberg Award for Online Journalism for their work in Haiti.
Visit Lambertson’s website to see his extraordinary work: https://www.andrerlambertson.com/
Horn Man by Andre Lambertson
